British Airways compensation: when you can claim, how much, and how to claim under UK261 and EU261
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Kurze Antwort
British Airways is a UK-licensed airline, so UK261 covers every BA flight departing the UK and every BA flight arriving in the UK from anywhere in the world: £220, £350 or £520 per passenger for an arrival delay of 3 hours or more, a cancellation announced less than 14 days ahead, or involuntary denied boarding. BA departures from EU airports fall under EU261 (€250–€600). BA cannot refuse for technical faults, crew shortages, its own IT failures or its own staff's strikes; it can for proven Heathrow ATC restrictions or weather. Claims go through BA's compensation form, then to CEDR, whose decisions bind BA, within six years.
Ausführende Airline
British Airways BA / BAW · United Kingdom
Britisch lizenzierte Airline — UK261 gilt für ihre Flüge ab dem Vereinigten Königreich und für ihre Flüge dorthin. EU261 gilt für ihre Flüge ab der EU.
Anwendbare Regelungen: BA CityFlyer
Wohin Sie Ihre Forderung senden
- Offizielles Formular / Hilfezentrum
- https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/delayed-or-cancelled-flights/compensation
- Postanschrift
- British Airways Customer Relations, EU Compensation Claims, PO Box 1126, Uxbridge, UB8 9XS, United Kingdom
- Schlichtungsstelle
- CEDR
Entschädigungsbeispiele auf British Airways-Strecken
- London → New York (5.540 km)520 £
- New York → London (5.540 km)600 €
- London → Paris (348 km)220 £
- London → Athens (2.427 km)350 £
- Madrid → London (1.244 km)250 €
- London → Dubai (5.498 km)520 £
Some short-haul flights are operated by BA CityFlyer (CJ) or BA Euroflyer (both UK AOCs).
Können British Airways-Passagiere eine Entschädigung verlangen?
Ja. British Airways besitzt eine britische Lizenz, daher gilt die Verordnung 261 für Flüge ab der EU/dem EWR, dem Vereinigten Königreich oder der Schweiz und für Flüge dorthin: 220 £–520 £ pro Passagier bei einer Ankunftsverspätung von 3 Stunden oder mehr, einer Annullierung mit weniger als 14 Tagen Vorlauf oder Nichtbeförderung – es sei denn, die Airline beweist außergewöhnliche Umstände.
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- British Airways
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When you can claim from British Airways
Three situations, one condition each:
- Delay — you reached your final destination 3 hours or more after the scheduled arrival. On a single BA booking with a connection at Heathrow or Gatwick, the delay is measured at the last airport, so a late feeder that costs you the long-haul flight counts in full.
- Cancellation — BA told you less than 14 days before departure and the alternative it offered did not meet the legal time windows (a next-day flight never does). Cancellations announced 14 days or more ahead carry no compensation, but BA must refund you or rebook you, on another airline where it cannot rebook you promptly.
- Denied boarding — you had a confirmed booking, checked in on time and were refused against your will: overbooking, a smaller aircraft, or a rebooking after an earlier disruption. Compensation is due immediately and BA has no extraordinary-circumstances defence.
Which regulation applies depends on where the flight departed: UK261 for BA departures from the UK and for BA flights into the UK from anywhere (New York–London, Dubai–London, Singapore–London are all covered because BA is a UK airline); EU261 for BA departures from EU airports (Madrid–London, Frankfurt–London). Short-haul flights sold as BA may be operated by BA CityFlyer (London City) or BA Euroflyer (Gatwick), both UK carriers, so nothing changes. Flights sold as BA but operated by a partner — American Airlines across the Atlantic, Iberia to Spain — are claimed from the partner, under the rules that apply to the partner’s flight.
How much British Airways pays
| Distance | UK261 (UK departures, arrivals on BA) | EU261 (EU departures) |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km — London–Paris, London–Amsterdam, London–Edinburgh | £220 | €250 |
| 1,500–3,500 km — London–Athens, London–Tel Aviv, London–Larnaca | £350 | €400 |
| Over 3,500 km — London–New York, London–Dubai, London–Singapore | £520 (£260 if 3–4 hours late) | €600 (€300 if 3–4 hours late) |
Per passenger with a paid seat, children included, whatever the fare or cabin. Compensation is paid in money; BA may offer Avios or an eVoucher, which you can decline.
What British Airways argues, and what holds
- Heathrow ATC and weather. Often genuine, and extraordinary when proven for your flight. Ask for the restriction or the weather report and the time window; a general “operational restrictions at Heathrow” line is not proof. When the August 2023 NATS air-traffic-control failure grounded flights, the failure itself was extraordinary — but BA still had to show it could not have re-routed you sooner once the system was restored.
- IT failures. BA has had large-scale system outages, most visibly in May 2017. Courts and CEDR have generally treated an airline’s own IT failure as not extraordinary: running the systems is inherent in running the airline.
- Strikes by BA staff. Pilot and cabin-crew strikes are internal. Under retained case law (Krüsemann) and the later Airhelp v SAS reasoning, they are not extraordinary. BA argues the 2021 judgment is not binding in the UK, and ADR decisions have gone both ways; keep the claim and cite the reasoning.
- Technical faults and crew shortages. Not extraordinary; ordinary operational risks.
- “You were rebooked.” Compensation for a cancellation is excluded only when the alternative met the time windows.
How to claim from British Airways
- Use BA’s “Delayed or cancelled flights — compensation” form (EU/UK compensation claims), one claim per booking, naming every passenger. Paste a complete claim into the description field: the flight, the delay in hours or the notice, the article, the amount. The British Airways claim letter page has the wording; the generator writes it from your flight.
- Keep the case reference. BA writes to the e-mail address on the booking; its refusals usually name a reason, which is what you test.
- After BA’s final answer, or eight weeks without one, refer the case to CEDR, the approved ADR scheme BA belongs to. Its decisions bind BA and the service is free for passengers. British Airways rejected your claim covers each refusal.
- A county-court claim remains available for six years in England and Wales (five in Scotland); for EU departures, the enforcement body of the departure country is the alternative route.
Typical British Airways cases
Heathrow → New York, arrived 4 h 20 late, “late inbound aircraft”. UK261, 5,550 km, £520 each. A rotation delay is BA’s planning, not extraordinary.
Madrid → Heathrow, delayed 3 h 30 by a hydraulic fault. EU261 (EU departure): €250 each, claimable through BA’s form and, if refused, the Spanish enforcement body AESA.
Manchester → Heathrow → Cape Town on one booking; the feeder was 50 minutes late and you flew the next day. Delay measured in Cape Town: £520 each plus the hotel BA had to provide.
Gatwick → Málaga cancelled at 05:00 for the 08:00 departure, “crew unavailable”. UK261, 1,650 km: £350 each, plus refund or re-routing.
London City → Amsterdam on BA CityFlyer, cancelled three weeks ahead. No compensation (14+ days’ notice), but a full refund or a seat on another flight — on KLM if BA CityFlyer had none that day.
New York → London on American Airlines, sold as a BA codeshare, delayed 5 hours. Not covered: the operating airline is neither UK nor EU licensed.
Operating facts: British Airways
From the registries behind the checker and, where enough cases exist, from claims passengers tracked on Horvera. Nothing here is estimated.
- Official claim channel
- https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/delayed-or-cancelled-flights/compensation
British Airways Customer Relations, EU Compensation Claims, PO Box 1126, Uxbridge, UB8 9XS, United Kingdom
Channel verified 14. September 2026
- Dispute-resolution body
- CEDR Aviation
airline is a member · decisions bind the airline · accepts cases 56 days after the claim
- Enforcement body (United Kingdom)
- UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)
The competent body is the one of the departure country; this is the airline's home-country body.
- Time limit for a court claim (United Kingdom)
72 months
Limitation Act 1980, s. 5 (England and Wales; six years). Scotland: five years under the Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973. · statute · 2026-09-14
- Flight lookup on Horvera
- Not on Horvera: there is no live flight-status lookup. You enter the route, the date and the airline; every figure in the check and the letter is stated as your own record.
- Collected from tracked claims
- Not enough verified Horvera cases yet (we publish only from 30 tracked claims sent to this airline).
Fragen und Antworten
When can I claim compensation from British Airways?
When a BA flight got you to your final destination 3 hours or more late, was cancelled with less than 14 days' notice without a close alternative, or denied you boarding against your will — and, for delays and cancellations, BA cannot prove an extraordinary circumstance. UK261 covers BA departures from the UK and BA arrivals into the UK from anywhere; EU261 covers BA departures from EU airports.
- Voraussetzungen
- Confirmed booking on a flight operated by BA, BA CityFlyer or BA Euroflyer
- Delay measured at the final destination of the booking
- Ausnahmen
- Cancellation announced 14 days or more ahead: refund or re-routing only
- A flight sold as BA but operated by a partner is claimed from the partner
- Beispiel
Heathrow → Rome, BA aircraft swapped at the last minute, arrival 3 h 15 late: UK261, £220 each.
- Nächster Schritt
- Check my British Airways flight
How much compensation can I claim from British Airways?
£220, £350 or £520 per passenger under UK261 — €250, €400 or €600 under EU261 — by the distance of the flight, never by the fare. On flights over 3,500 km BA may pay half (£260 / €300) when you arrived less than 4 hours late. Children with a paid seat count in full; an infant on the lap does not.
- Voraussetzungen
- Distance measured from the first departure airport to the final destination of one booking
- Ausnahmen
- Long-haul flights arriving 3–4 hours late: 50 %
- Re-routing that arrives within 2, 3 or 4 hours (by band): 50 %
- Beispiel
A family of four on London → Dubai (5,500 km) delayed 5 hours: 4 × £520 = £2,080.
- Nächster Schritt
- Calculate the amount for my BA route
Is a British Airways IT failure or strike an extraordinary circumstance?
No. An airline's own systems and its own staff are within its control: BA's IT outages and strikes by BA pilots or cabin crew are not extraordinary under the case law UK courts and CEDR apply, so compensation is due. BA argues that the 2021 Airhelp v SAS judgment on lawful strikes is not binding in the UK; expect that argument and keep the claim.
- Voraussetzungen
- The cause was internal to BA: systems, crew, aircraft, rotation
- Ausnahmen
- Air-traffic-control restrictions or failures, severe weather and airport-staff strikes can be extraordinary if BA proves them for your flight
- Beispiel
BA cancels a Heathrow → Nice flight during a BA cabin-crew strike announced two weeks earlier: £220 each unless BA moved you to a flight inside the legal windows.
- Nächster Schritt
- British Airways and extraordinary circumstances
What does British Airways owe if I am denied boarding?
The fixed compensation immediately — £220, £350 or £520 by distance — plus the choice of a refund or a seat on the next available flight, and meals and a hotel while you wait. Denied boarding has no extraordinary-circumstances defence. Volunteers who accept BA's offer at the gate get what they agreed instead.
- Voraussetzungen
- Confirmed booking, on-time check-in, refusal against your will
- Ausnahmen
- Refusal for genuine documentation, safety, security or health reasons
- Volunteering
- Beispiel
Heathrow → Boston overbooked, two passengers moved to the next morning: £520 each on the spot.
- Nächster Schritt
- Denied boarding rights
British Airways rejected my claim — what next?
Test the reason: BA must name a specific cause and prove it was extraordinary for your flight and that it took all reasonable measures. If the reason is internal (technical, crew, IT, rotation) or vague, reply once, then refer the case to CEDR after BA's final answer or eight weeks of silence. CEDR's decision binds BA; the county court remains open for six years.
- Voraussetzungen
- BA's final answer, or eight weeks without one, before CEDR accepts the case
- Ausnahmen
- For BA departures from the EU, the enforcement body of the departure country is the alternative to CEDR
- Beispiel
BA refuses a 3 h 40 Heathrow → Edinburgh delay as “operational reasons”; CEDR asks BA for the cause, BA produces a crew-hours record, CEDR awards £220.
- Nächster Schritt
- British Airways rejected your claim
How long do I have to claim from British Airways?
Six years from the flight in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, five in Scotland, for UK261 flights; for BA departures from the EU, the limitation period of the departure country — five years in France and Spain, three in Germany, two in Italy and the Netherlands. BA's own conditions cannot shorten those periods.
- Voraussetzungen
- Court claim started inside the limitation period; CEDR takes cases well within it
- Beispiel
A BA flight delayed in June 2022 from Heathrow can be claimed in court until June 2028.
- Nächster Schritt
- Time limits by country
Straight answers
Each answer is computed from the registries behind the checker and carries its source and verification date.
Can I claim compensation from British Airways?
Yes, if your British Airways flight arrived three hours or more late, was cancelled with less than 14 days' notice, or you were denied boarding against your will — and the airline cannot prove an extraordinary circumstance. UK261 applies because of the airline's licence and where the flight departed.
- Conditions
- Arrival at the final destination three hours or more after the scheduled time (delay).
- Cancellation announced less than 14 days before departure, and no re-routing inside the legal time windows.
- Confirmed booking, on-time check-in and boarding refused against your will.
- The airline cannot prove an extraordinary circumstance it could not have avoided with all reasonable measures.
Source: Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as retained in UK law (assimilated law) · Delays and cancellations · verified 12. September 2026
How much compensation does British Airways pay?
On the example routes for British Airways the fixed amount is 220 to 520 GBP per passenger, set by distance, regardless of the ticket price.
- Conditions
- Up to 1,500 km · 1,500–3,500 km · over 3,500 km; intra-EU flights over 3,500 km take the middle amount.
- Over 3,500 km the airline may halve the amount if the arrival delay was under four hours.
- Per passenger, for every passenger on the booking.
Source: Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as retained in UK law (assimilated law) · Joined Cases C-402/07 and C-432/07 Sturgeon v Condor and Böck v Air France · verified 12. September 2026
Which law applies to a British Airways flight?
UK261 — Regulation 261/2004 as retained in UK law: British Airways is a UK-licensed carrier, so it applies to every flight departing the UK and to its flights into the UK. EU261 applies instead to its flights departing the EU.
- Conditions
- Any flight departing the regime's territory is covered whichever airline operates it.
- A flight into the territory from outside is covered only when a licensed carrier of that regime (or the EU) operates it.
Source: Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as retained in UK law (assimilated law) · The Air Passenger Rights and Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (SI 2019/278) · verified 12. September 2026
How long do I have to claim against British Airways?
For flights departing GB, a court claim is likely time-barred after 72 months (Limitation Act 1980, s. 5 (England and Wales; six years). Scotland: five years under the Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973.). Other departure countries have their own limits; the airline's own claim form has no deadline of its own.
- Conditions
- The country whose enforcement body is competent — normally the departure country — sets the limit.
- Limitation is national law (CJEU C-139/11); escalation steps do not stop the clock.
Source: Limitation Act 1980, section 5 · Case C-139/11 Cuadrench Moré v KLM · verified 14. September 2026
Where do I send a claim to British Airways?
Through the claim channel of British Airways: https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/delayed-or-cancelled-flights/compensation. Claim from the operating carrier, in writing, and keep proof of sending.
- Conditions
- Claim from the airline that operated the flight (on the boarding pass), not necessarily the one that sold the ticket.
- In writing, with the booking reference, flight number, date and the passengers' names; keep proof of sending.
Source: Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as retained in UK law (assimilated law) · Delays and cancellations · verified 14. September 2026
What if British Airways refuses to pay?
British Airways is a member of CEDR Aviation, whose decisions are binding on the airline. Refer the case there after a refusal or once the waiting period has passed; the enforcement body and the courts remain available.
- Conditions
- The body accepts the case 56 days after the claim was sent without a substantive answer, or after a final refusal.
- The national enforcement body of the departure country can examine the airline's compliance.
- A court claim remains available within the national time limit, as a last resort.
Source: CEDR Aviation · Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) for aviation complaints · How to complain: contact the airline first, then the National Enforcement Body of the country of departure (or arrival for inbound EU-carrier flights) · verified 14. September 2026
What if British Airways says the delay was due to weather?
Weather can be an extraordinary circumstance — but only on the facts. British Airways must prove the conditions were incompatible with operating this flight, that they affected this flight and not just the airport in general, and that no reasonable measure could have avoided the delay. A generic reference to weather does not discharge that burden.
- Conditions
- The burden of proof is on the airline (Art. 5(3)).
- The weather must have affected this flight, not just the airport in general; other flights that operated are evidence.
- The airline must also show what it did to avoid the disruption — spare aircraft, crew, re-routing.
- A technical fault, by contrast, is inherent in normal operations and not extraordinary.
Source: Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as retained in UK law (assimilated law) · Delays and cancellations · Case C-549/07 Wallentin-Hermann v Alitalia · Case C-257/14 van der Lans v KLM · verified 12. September 2026
Häufige Fragen
How much compensation does British Airways pay?
£220, £350 or £520 per passenger under UK261 by distance (€250, €400 or €600 for BA departures from the EU). On long-haul flights BA pays £260 when the arrival delay is between 3 and 4 hours and the full £520 from 4 hours.
How do I claim compensation from British Airways?
Through the compensation page on ba.com (delayed or cancelled flights), quoting the booking reference, the flight and the delay or notice date. Keep the case number. If BA refuses or does not reply within 8 weeks, refer the claim to CEDR, the ADR scheme BA belongs to.
Does British Airways pay for a missed connection at Heathrow?
Yes if both flights are on one booking: the delay is measured at your final destination and the distance band covers the whole journey. On separate bookings, each flight stands alone.
Is a Heathrow ATC delay extraordinary?
It can be, but BA must prove the specific restriction affected your flight and that it could not have avoided the delay. A general reference to "ATC restrictions" without detail should be challenged.
Quellen
- Court of Justice of the European UnionCase C-28/20 Airhelp v Scandinavian Airlines — a strike organised by the airline's own staff is not an extraordinary circumstance
- Court of Justice of the European UnionCase C-11/11 Air France v Folkerts — compensation for connecting flights depends on the delay at the final destination
- Court of Justice of the European UnionJoined Cases C-195/17 etc. Krüsemann v TUIfly — a "wildcat strike" by airline staff is not an extraordinary circumstance
- Court of Justice of the European UnionJoined Cases C-402/07 and C-432/07 Sturgeon v Condor and Böck v Air France — passengers of flights delayed by three hours or more may claim compensation
- Court of Justice of the European UnionCase C-549/07 Wallentin-Hermann v Alitalia — technical problems are not, as such, extraordinary circumstances
- European CommissionInterpretative Guidelines on Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (2016/C 214/04)
- European Parliament and CouncilRegulation (EC) No 261/2004 establishing common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights
- UK Civil Aviation AuthorityAlternative dispute resolution (ADR) for aviation complaints
- UK Civil Aviation AuthorityDelays and cancellations — your rights
- UK Government — legislation.gov.ukLimitation Act 1980, section 5 — six years for actions founded on simple contract (England and Wales)
- UK Government — legislation.gov.ukRegulation (EC) No 261/2004 as retained in UK law (assimilated law)
- UK Government — legislation.gov.ukThe Air Passenger Rights and Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (SI 2019/278)
Letzte rechtliche Prüfung: 17. September 2026 · Inhalt aktualisiert: 17. September 2026
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